Edwaed weston



(No Model.)

E. WESTON.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKEE. N0. 301,023

PatentedJune 24, 1884.

Illmll N. PETERS. Photo-Lixmgmplmr. wasmngmn, D. c.

Unirse tirarse Partnr @irrita EDVAED WESTON, OE NEVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO TIIE'UNITED STATES ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

sLE'cruneAL-Clnemr entame.

SPECIFICATION forming part ol' Letters Patent No. 301,023, dated June 24, 1886i.

V I Application filed September-12, 1888. (No modcld T @ZZ whom, it 771/607./ concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD WnsroN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forn'ling a part ofthe 1o same.

In another application filed by me I have shown and described a device for making and breaking an electric circuit in which a contactplate capable of being rotated is arranged in conjunction with two springs in such manner that a continuous turning of the plate in one direction lirst closes and then breaks the eircuit, the latter Voperation being eii'ected instantaneously by the action of the springs, which 2Q separate from the plate at the same instant of time. In this device, andin others heretofore used where the sudden snap orreaction of one or more springs is madeavailable for breaking the circuit, provision is made for turning or 2 5 operating the switch in one direction only. This is ordinarily done by using the springs as pawls to engage with insulating-teeth and prevent the backward movement ol" the switch. In practice it has been found that switches of 3o this description are constantly being injured by ignorant and unskilled persons, who, in attempting to turn the switch backward, bend the springs out of shape or wrench thethumbpiece so as to render the device useless. `My

3 5 object is therefore, primarily, to produce a switch the construction of which will permit it to be turned in either direction, and still prevent the formation of an arc between the separable points of contact by elfecting an instantaneous separation of these points when the switch is operated for interrupting the circuit. To accomplish this I use a contact-plate mounted on a suitable spindle and partly surrounded or inclosed by pieces of insulating 4 5 material, and a spring or springs that impinge thereon. The plate and the insulating-pieces attached thereto are ol" such conformation that when they are turned to bring the plate in contact with the spring or springs the latter will 5o exert a force to throw the plate around and out l of contact, or else into a position where the fullest and most complete contact is made, in which event it will be held there until again turned. It result-s from this that the switch cannot be turned and left in a position where 5 5 the electrical connection isrincomplete, while the force of the spring or springs .is so applied that an instantaneous .separation of the points of contact is effected, and burning thereby avoided, unless aspecial effort be made on the 6o part of the person operating the switch to prevent it.

In describing more fully my invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, which eXhibit a simple and practicable forni of circuit-breaker constructed to accomplish the results above described.

Figure l is a view in elevation of the instrument, the box or casing being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of Eig. l, taken 7o just above the contact-springs.

The inclosingbox A may be of any ordinary kind, and is mounted,for convenience, on a base,

B, in which are set two posts or standards, G C. The conductors DVD of an electric circuit lead 75 to these posts. Two stout spring-plates, E, of copper or other metal,are fastened to the posts C C in the manner shown, and extend within the box slightly beyond its center.. Between the springs E is set aspindle, F, havingabean 8o ing in the bottom, and passingthroughthe top of the box. 0n the spindle F is xed a metal plate, G, shaped as shown, to the sides of which are attached the insulating-pieces II II, these three parts forming a block with insulating` sides or faces andcondueting ends, and having a shape approximately oval in crosssection, with four flattened portions-one on each end and one on each side. wWhen thus constructed, the spindle will be held by the 9o force of the springs in either one of two positions, one of which is that illustrated in Fig. 2, the other position being that in which the springs impinge upon the conducting ends a a. If the spindle be turned by athnmb'piece, 9 5 K; away from either of these positions, the springs will have a tendency to throw it back into the position from which it was turned, or into the other position, according to the extent of the movement imparted to it by hand. If roo the springs' are in contact with the ends a a, for instance, and the spindle be turned sufciently to the left or right, the block will be thrown around so that the springs will rest on the faces b b, the circuit being instantaneously broken by this operation. A similar action takes place on turning the spindle to complete the circuit. l

In 'the drawings I have shown two springs, E, and in practiceI prefer this arrangement, as it effects a simultaneous separation of the circuit at two points. One of these springs might be dispensed with, however, as will be readily seen.

The exact shape of the block composed of the plate and pieces of insulating material may be considerably Varied. For example, it may be oval in cross-section, or nearly rectangular, with rounded corners or of any similar shape, to cause it to be shifted by the force of the springs into `one or the other of the positions described.

lVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electrical-circuit breaker, the com' and arranged for op eration in substantially the' manner herein shown.

2. rIhe combination, with the rounded or oval block, composed of a metal plate, and insulatingpieces attached thereto, and arranged to present the flattened conductingand insulating faces a a Z b, of the contact-sprin gs impinging on said faces, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of September, 1883.

EDI/VARI) VESTON.

Witnesses: l

PARKER YV. PAGE, WV. FRIsBY. 

